CD/DVD review: Halestorm ~ Live in Philly 2010

Halestorm ~ Live in Philly 2010 (Atlantic Records)

Released: November 16, 2010

Even if your taste is musically compromised and you simply can’t appreciate brilliant rock and roll, Halestorm will still win you over if you ever see them live. They’re energy and passion is simply that contagious. Their live performances are hot, sweaty, energetic, full body workouts. They are visually and aurally one of the best bands you’ll ever be fortunate enough to enjoy live. But don’t take my word for it. Atlantic Records was so impressed with their live chops that they chose to release a live EP of the band before inking them to a full album deal. Unless you’ve been under a rock for the last two years, you’ve seen and heard how well their stunning debut has done.

While most new bands would be rushing back into the studio to throw more gas on the fire, Halestorm have been relentless road warriors, and if you ask them in person, that’s exactly where they want to be. They are first and foremost a live band. Their beloved tour bus, Bouncing Betty, is their home. Their Pennsylvania home is simply a home away from home. So it should not be surprising that Halestorm have blessed their legion of loyal fans (called Storm Chasers) with a holiday treat to help quench the thirst for more. This week Halestorm released the full length live CD/DVD set, Live in Philly 2010.

The show was recorded live on their home turf at The Fillmore at the Theatre of the Living Arts on April 30th, 2010 during their “Familiar Taste of…” headlining tour.

Live in Philly has no new material, rather it’s a live memorialization of their debut record, and a tribute to both the band and fans. Onstage Halestorm thrives, and the intensity of their passion for both the music and their rabid fans is palpable. Drummer Arejay Hale is the band’s court jester, rallying the crowd and beating on his kit with the enthusiasm of a child in need of Ritilin. Bassist Josh Smith plays the stoic man of mystery anchoring the band on bass, while guitarist Joe Hottinger blends an engaging smile with six-string pyrotechnics that bring each song to vivid resonance. Finally there is singer/guitarist Lzzy Hale, the vocal magic that makes fans bleed and ache for more. Vocal comparisons to legends like Ann Wilson, Janis Joplin, and Pat Benatar do the young singer both justice and a disservice, for she is their equal, but her own enormous personality.

There was not a weak track on the band’s debut album, and most assuredly not a weak moment in this live representation, which includes the band’s famous drum circle , “Boom City,” an acoustic version of “I’m Not An Angel,” and a live interpretation of the bonus track, “Tell Me Where It Hurts.”

Any true fan of music, regardless of genre could not help but be impressed by this quartet, and this CD/DVD brings the bands dynamic sound to life the way it was meant to be experienced. The warmth, charisma, and character you see and feel flowing from the stage is a living manifestation of who they are offstage as well. Halestorm is for real, and they are here to stay. Discover for yourself what makes Halestorm the best new band to emerge on the scene in the last 25 years. Conversation over!

For those who are already fans, you know this is a must own for your collection, and temporary satiation until we can get our ears on their sophomore album which we should have in 2011…if we can ever pry them off that tour bus long enough to hit the studio!

Buy it!

Rating: 9.8/10